Collapsible container

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a collapsible container which is movable from a collapsed position having a reduced volume for storage and transport and an expanded position having dimensional rigidity and securely holding the contents of the container. The collapsible container has a plurality of outer wall segments having a side wall with a first and second edge, the outer wall segments being movable from a collapsed position wherein the plurality of outer wall segments are stacked within each other such that the height of the collapsed container is similar to the height of the individual outer wall segments and an expanded position for use of the collapsible container. The outer wall segments are provided with releasable locking means whereby the outer wall segments may be locked one to another in the expanded position and being releasable to allow for the collapsible container to be moved to the collapsed position. The releasable locking means are a releasable locking latch means adjacent a first edge of each of the outer wall segments and a locking latch means receptacle adjacent a second edge of the outer wall segments, the releasable locking latch means of an outer wall segment cooperating with the releasable locking latch means receptacle of an adjacent outer wall segment to releasably lock the collapsible container in the expanded position, the releasable locking latch means of an outer wall segment being disengageable from the releasable locking latch means receptacle of the adjacent outer wall segment to allow the collapsible container to be moved to the collapsed position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a collapsible container, and inparticular a collapsible container which collapses easily in a cascadingmanner while maintaining dimensional ridigity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Collapsible containers, particularly drinking containers have been knownfor a number of years. These containers are commonly used by hikers andcampers where the collapsed container is easier to carry in a backpack,taking up less space than a traditional container. Examples of suchcontainers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,736,285, 6,666,329, 5,575,398,6,484,897 and 7,048,317 among others.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,285 issued May 18, 2004 to Stewart-Stand describes acollapsible container such as a drinking cup which has a disk-shapedbottom and a disk-shaped cover which fit within one another and engageby catches. A molded inner cup body has its base connected to the bottomand a mouth surrounded by a ring which seals to the cover and springs upfrom the bottom to erect the cup when the catches are released. Whilethe patent describes a collapsible drinking container, the container inthe expanded configuration does not have dimensional rigidity in thatthe sidewalls have to easily collapse to allow the container to beplaced in the collapsed orientation.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,329 issued Dec. 23, 2005, to Charbonneau describes acollapsible cup with a vented pocket having a base member for supportingthe cup. A plurality of telescoping segments form a fluid-tight seal byfriction fitting the plurality of telescoping segments together with theoutermost telescoping segment being attached to the base member and theinnermost segment being provided with a vented pocket. As thetelescoping segments are only friction fitted, the cup has nodimensional rigidity and there is a risk of the cup collapsing duringoperation.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,398 issued Nov. 19, 1996 to Robbins describesreusable collapsible container having a bottom wall and a flexibleperipheral side wall being movable between axially extended andcollapsed positions. The side wall has upper and lower relativelythicker portions and an intermediate relatively thinner portion betweenthe upper and lower portions. The intermediate side wall portion istapered radially inwardly and downwardly, and the lower side wallportion is tapered radially outwardly and downwardly, such that in thecollapsed position the lower side wall portion is partially telescopedwithin the upper side wall portion, and the intermediate portion isreverse folded therebetween.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,897, issued Nov. 26, 2002, to Crawley describes acontainer of variable volume having an inner flexible member enclosed ina number of interlocking outer sleeves. The outer sleeves are movedrelative to one another to vary the volume of the container by rotatingscrew-threaded outer sleeves, ratchet mechanism or by using amulti-level bayonet type connection.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,048,317, issued May 23, 2006, to Netsch describes acollapsible scoop having a bellow section of a plurality of slant wallsections and thin wall sections between adjacent slant wall sectionsdefining peaks and valleys between the adjacent slant wall sections. Thethin wall sections allow the bellows to be moved between the collapsedand extended positions.

While the above patents describe a number of collapsible containers,there still remains a need for a collapsible container which hasdimensional rigidity in the expanded position yet is easily collapsibleinto the collapsed position and provides for secure storage of thecontents of the container in the expanded position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a collapsible container which ismovable from a collapsed position having a reduced volume for storageand transport and an expanded position having dimensional rigidity andsecurely holding the contents of the container. The collapsiblecontainer comprises a plurality of outer wall segments having a sidewall with a first and second edge, the outer wall segments being movablefrom a collapsed position wherein the plurality of outer wall segmentsare stacked within each other such that the height of the collapsedcontainer is similar to the height of the individual outer wall segmentsand an expanded position for use of the collapsible container. The outerwall segments are provided with releasable locking means whereby theouter wall segments may be locked one to another in the expandedposition and being releasable to allow for the collapsible container tobe moved to the collapsed position. The releasable locking meanscomprises a releasable locking latch means adjacent a first edge of eachof the outer wall segments and a locking latch means receptacle adjacenta second edge of the outer wall segments, the releasable locking latchmeans of an outer wall segment cooperating with the releasable lockinglatch means receptacle of an adjacent outer wall segment to releasablylock the collapsible container in the expanded position, the releasablelocking latch means of an outer wall segment being disengageable fromthe releasable locking latch means receptacle of the adjacent outer wallsegment to allow the collapsible container to be moved to the collapsedposition.

In an aspect of the invention, the releasable locking latch meanscomprises a rib on a first surface of the outer wall segment and thereleasable locking latch means receptacle comprises a groove to acceptthe rib and securely hold the rib in the groove.

In another aspect of the invention, the releasable locking latch meanscomprises a resilient tab formed in the side wall of the outer wallsegment, the resilient tab having a lug extending from a first surfaceof the outer wall segment and the releasable locking latch meansreceptacle comprises an opening to accept the lug and securely hold thelug in the opening.

In yet another aspect of the invention, the collapsible containerfurther comprises a fluid tight inner liner which is movable from acollapsed position to an expanded position along with the outer wallsegments, the inner liner being attached to the outer wall segment atthe top thereof.

In a further aspect of the invention, the inner liner comprises aplurality of inner liner segments, the number of inner wall segmentsbeing equal to the number of outer wall segments. The uppermost innerwall segment is attached to the uppermost outer wall segment and thelowermost inner wall segment is provided with a bottom at the lower endthereof contiguous with the wall of the inner liner segment. Each of theinner wall segments is joined to the adjacent inner wall segment by aliving hinge to allow the inner wall segments to be moved between anexpanded position to form a liquid tight liner for the collapsiblecontainer and a collapsed position wherein the inner liner segmentspivot about the living hinges joining the adjacent inner wall segmentssuch that in the collapsed position, the inner wall segments form apleated arrangement.

In yet another aspect of the invention, the collapsible containercomprises a removable cover which in a closed position seals theinterior of the container and is releasable to allow access to theinterior of the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in theattached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first collapsible cup in accordancewith the present invention in an expanded position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view in cross section of the collapsible cup ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the outer wall of the collapsible cup ofFIG. 1 in the expanded position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view in cross section of the outer wall of thecollapsible cup of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the outer wall of the collapsible cup ofFIG. 1 in the collapsed position;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view in cross section of the outer wall of thecollapsible cup of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second collapsible cup in accordancewith the present invention in an expanded position;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view in cross section of the collapsible cup ofFIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the outer wall of the collapsible cup ofFIG. 7 in the expanded position;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the outer wall of the collapsible cupof FIG. 7 in the expanded position illustrating the releasable lockingmechanism;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the outer wall of the collapsible cupof FIG. 7 in the collapsed position;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view in cross section of the outer wall of thecollapsible cup of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a collapsible baby bottle in accordancewith the present invention in an expanded position;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view in cross section of the collapsible babybottle of FIG. 13 in the collapsed position;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the outer wall of the collapsible babybottle of FIG. 13 in the expanded position;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the outer wall of the collapsible babybottle of FIG. 13 in the expanded position illustrating the releasablelocking mechanism;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the outer wall of the collapsible babybottle of FIG. 13 in the expanded position illustrating the releasablelocking mechanism;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view in cross section of outer wall of thecollapsible baby bottle of FIG. 13 in the collapsed position;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a collapsible water bottle inaccordance with the present invention in an expanded position;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view in cross section of the outer wall of thecollapsible water bottle of FIG. 19 in the collapsed positionillustrating the releasable locking mechanism;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a collapsible storage container inaccordance with the present invention in an expanded position;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view in cross section of the collapsiblestorage container of FIG. 21 in the expanded position illustrating thereleasable locking mechanism;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the collapsible storage container ofFIG. 21 in the collapsed position;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view in cross section of the collapsiblestorage container of FIG. 21 in the collapsed position illustrating thereleasable locking mechanism;

FIG. 25 is a rear perspective view of a collapsible suitcase inaccordance with the present invention in an expanded position;

FIG. 26 is a front perspective view of the collapsible suitcase of FIG.25 in an expanded position;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view in cross section of the collapsiblesuitcase of FIG. 25 in the expanded position illustrating the releasablelocking mechanism;

FIG. 28 is a rear perspective view of the collapsible suitcase of FIG.25 in collapsed position;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view in cross section of the collapsiblesuitcase of FIG. 25 in the collapsed position illustrating thereleasable locking mechanism;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the collapsible suitcase of FIG. 25 inthe expanded position illustrating the use of the suitcase; and

FIG. 31 is a perspective view in cross section of the collapsiblesuitcase of FIG. 25 in the expanded position illustrating the use of thesuitcase.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed to a collapsible container which iseasily movable from a collapsed position having a reduced volume forstorage and transport and an expanded position having dimensionalrigidity and securely holding the contents of the container. Thecollapsible container has a plurality of outer wall segments having aside wall with a first and second edge, the outer wall segments beingmovable from a collapsed position wherein the plurality of outer wallsegments are stacked within each other such that the height of thecollapsed container is similar to the height of the individual outerwall segments and an expanded position for use of the collapsiblecontainer. The outer wall segments are provided with releasable lockingmeans whereby the outer wall segments may be locked one to another inthe expanded position and being releasable to allow for the collapsiblecontainer to be moved to the collapsed position. The releasable lockingmeans are a releasable locking latch means adjacent a first edge of eachof the outer wall segments and a locking latch means receptacle adjacenta second edge of the outer wall segments, the releasable locking latchmeans of an outer wall segment cooperating with the releasable lockinglatch means receptacle of an adjacent outer wall segment to releasablylock the collapsible container in the expanded position, the releasablelocking latch means of an outer wall segment being disengageable fromthe releasable locking latch means receptacle of the adjacent outer wallsegment to allow the collapsible container to be moved to the collapsedposition. Various preferred embodiments of the present invention aredescribed below.

A first embodiment of a collapsible container, namely a collapsible cup,in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6generally indicated by the numeral 10. The collapsible cup 10 may beused for the transport and consumption of liquids such as coffee or tea.Once the liquid in the container has been consumed, the container may becollapsed to take up less space as the empty container is beingtransported.

The collapsible cup 10 has an outer wall 12 constructed of a pluralityof outer wall segments 12A to 12D which are nestable within one anotherwhen the collapsible cup 10 is in the collapsed position as will bedescribed in detail below. The total number of outer wall segments is afraction of the volume required.

The collapsible cup 10 is also provided with an inner liner 14 which hasan upper foldover lip 16 which folds over the top of the uppermost outerwall segment 12A. The uppermost outer wall segment 12A is provided withan exterior groove 19 which accepts an inner rib 21 on the interior ofthe foldover lip 16 of the inner liner 14 to securely connect the innerliner 14 to the outer wall 12.

The collapsible cup may be provided with a removable lid to allow forthe transport and consumption of liquids carried within the collapsiblecup. The removable lid may have an exterior rim to sit in a friction fitsealing arrangement over the foldover lip of the inner liner. The uppersurface of the lid may be is provided with an opening to allow the userto consume the liquid in the collapsible container. The opening may beprovided with a closure means such as a slidable cover to allow theopening to be covered when not in use to reduce the risk of spillage ofthe contents of the collapsible cup.

The inner liner 14 has an inner wall 18 formed of a plurality of innerwall segments 18A to 18D. The adjacent inner wall segments are joined toone another by a living hinge arrangement 28 which allows the innerliner wall 18 to collapse with the outer wall 12 as will be describedbelow.

The inner liner 14 is also provided with a bottom 23 which is contiguouswith the lowermost inner wall segment 18D. The exterior of the innerwall bottom 23 is provided with a locking disk 25 which passes throughan opening 27 in the bottom of the lowermost outer wall segment 12D tosecurely connect the inner wall bottom to the outer wall bottom.

The outer wall segments 12A to 12D are provided with releasable lockingmeans which allow the collapsible cup 10 to be expanded and locked inthe expanded configuration while at the same time allowing the lockingmeans to be released and allow the collapsible cup 10 to be collapsed tothe collapsed configuration. One such releasable locking means isillustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6 in particular.

The interior of the outer wall segments 12A to 12C other than thelowermost segment 12D are provided with an elongated indent 28 whichextends perpendicularly preferably almost the full height of the outerwall segments 12A to 12C. A releasable locking latch receptacle, namelya groove 30 is provided adjacent the lower end of the elongate indent28. Each of the outer wall segments 12B to 12D other than the uppermostouter wall segment 12A, are provided with releasable latching means,namely exterior ribs 32 adjacent the top of the outer wall segment 12Bto 12D. The exterior ribs 32 are of a size and shape to be containedwithin the elongate indent 28 on the interior surface of the adjacentouter wall segment 12A to 12C.

To expand the collapsible cup 10, starting from the collapsedconfiguration as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the uppermost outer wallsegment 12A is gripped and pulled upwardly. The exterior ribs 32 ridewithin the elongate indents 28 until they snap into the grooves 30. Thissame operation is repeated for each of the outer wall segments until thecollapsible container is in the expanded configuration.

To collapse the collapsible cup 10, the top of the cup 10 is pusheddownwardly. For this movement, the cup 10 may be placed on a surface orthe user may push on both the top and bottom of the cup 10simultaneously. This movement forces the ribs 32 upwardly and out of thegrooves 30 and into the elongate indents 28 until the ribs 32 restagainst the upper edge of the elongate indent. The collapsible 10 cup isthen in the collapsed position.

During the movement of the collapsible cup 10 into the collapsedposition, the inner liner wall segments pivot about the living hingesjoining the adjacent segments such that in the collapsed position, theinner wall segments form a pleated arrangement. During the expansion ofthe cup, the inner wall segments pivot about the living hinge to formthe full inner liner in the expanded position as shown in FIG. 2. Theliner may also be substituted for a sack or bag (not shown) ofproportions to fit the cup volume.

A second embodiment of a collapsible container of the present inventionis illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 12. This embodiment is a collapsiblewide-mouth container generally indicated by the numeral 40. Thisembodiment of the collapsible container could be used for the transportand consumption of foods such as soups or stews and as described belowcould also be used by hikers and campers.

The collapsible wide-mouth container has an outer wall 42 constructed ofa plurality of segments 42A to 42C which are nestable within one anotherwhen the collapsible wide-mouth container 40 is in the collapsedposition as will be described below. The total number of outer wallsegments used is a fraction of the volume required.

The collapsible wide-mouth container 40 is also provided with an innerliner 44 which has an upper foldover lip 48 which folds over the top ofthe uppermost inner wall segment 42A. The uppermost outer wall segment42A is provided with an exterior rollover lip 60 which accepts an innergroove 41 on the interior of the foldover lip 48 of the inner liner 44to securely connect the inner liner 44 to the outer wall 42.

The inner liner 44 has an inner wall 46 formed of a plurality of innerwall segments 46A to 46C. The adjacent inner wall segments 46A to 46Care joined to one another by a living hinge arrangement 52 which allowsthe inner liner wall 46 to collapse with the outer wall 42 as will bedescribed below.

The collapsible wide-mouth container 40 may be utilized by hikers orcampers as a cooking container and thus the wide-mouth container isprovided with a suitable bottom to allow it to be used on a stove orburner. The inner liner 44 is provided with a bottom 43 which iscontiguous with the lowermost inner liner wall segment 46C. Similarly,the lowermost outer wall segment 42C is also provided with a bottom 45.The bottom 43 of the inner liner 46 and the bottom 45 of the outer wall42 are both provided with an annular opening. A top plate 47 and abottom plate 49 of a suitable heat conducting material are providedwhich sandwich the bottom 43 of the inner layer 46 and bottom 45 of theouter wall 42 therebetween. In this way, the heat from a stove or burneris easily and rapidly transferred through the top plate 47 and bottomplate 49 and to the contents held within the wide-mouth container 40.

The outer wall segments 42A to 42C are provided with releasable lockingmeans 50 which allow the collapsible wide-mouth container 40 to beexpanded and locked in the expanded configuration while at the same timeallowing the locking means 50 to be released and allow the collapsiblewide-mouth container 40 to be collapsed to the collapsed configuration.One such releasable locking means 50 is illustrated in FIG. 10 inparticular.

Each of the outer wall segments 42A to 42C are provided with areleasable locking latch means, namely a roll over top lip 60 whichrolls over to the exterior of the segment. The uppermost wall segments42A and 42B are also provided with a roll over bottom lip 55, alsorolling over to the exterior of the container. The wall of the outerwall segments 42A and 42B immediately above the roll over bottom lip 55are provided with a releasable locking latch means receptacle, namely anannular groove 54 on the interior surface of the outer wall segments andan annular rib 56 immediately above the annular groove. In the expandedconfiguration as shown in the figures, in particular, FIGS. 8 and 10,the roll over top lip 60 of the outer wall segment 42B or 42C iscontained and held within the annular groove 54 of the immediatelyadjacent outer wall segment.

To expand the collapsible wide-mouth container 40, starting from thecollapsed configuration as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the uppermost outerwall segment 42A is gripped and pulled upwardly. The rollover top lips60 ride downwardly along the interior wall of the adjacent inner wallsegment, then over the annular rib 56 until they snap into the annulargrooves 54. The same operation is repeated for each of the outer wallsegments until the collapsible wide-mouth container 40 is in theexpanded configuration.

In order to allow for the necessary movement of the rollover top lip 60inwardly and outwardly to seat in the annular grooves 54, the outer wallsegments 42B and 42C are provided with slots 62 such that the rolloverlip 60 is divided into a plurality of segments. Each of the segments maymove inwardly and outwardly independent of the other segments thusallowing for the proper movement of the rollover top lip 60 during thecollapsing and expanding movements

To collapse the collapsible wide-mouth container 40, the top of thewide-mouth container 40 is pushed downwardly. For this movement, thewide-mouth container 40 may be placed on a surface or the user may pushon both the top and bottom of the wide-mouth container 40simultaneously. This movement forces the rollover top lips 60 upwardlyover the annular rib 56 and out of the annular grooves 54 and upwardlyalong the interior of the adjacent outer wall segment until the outerwall segments align. The collapsible wide-mouth container 40 is then inthe collapsed position.

During the movement of the collapsible wide-mouth container 40 into thecollapsed position, the inner liner wall segments 46A to 46C pivot aboutthe living hinges 52A and 52B joining the adjacent segments such that inthe collapsed position, the inner wall segments form a pleatedarrangement. During the expansion of the wide-mouth container 40, theinner wall segments 46A to 46C pivot about the living hinges 52A and 52Bto form the full inner liner in the expanded position as shown in FIGS.7 and 8. The inner liner may also be substituted for a sack or bag (notshown) of proportions and facets to fit the pot volume.

A third embodiment of a collapsible container of the present inventionis illustrated in FIGS. 13 to 18. This embodiment of the collapsiblecontainer is a collapsible baby bottle or sipping cup generallyindicated by the numeral 70. The collapsible baby bottle 70 has an outerwall 78 constructed of a plurality of outer wall segments 78A to 78D.The uppermost outer wall segment 78A is provided with an exterior thread74 which accepts a standard retaining ring 72 to hold a nipple 76 orsipping top or other lid (not shown) on the top of the collapsible babybottle 70. A standard baby bottle liner is used in the conventionalmanner to hold the formula or other fluid for consumption by the baby ortoddler.

The outer wall segments 78A to 78D are provided with releasable lockingmeans which allow the collapsible baby bottle 70 to be expanded andlocked in the expanded configuration while at the same time allowing thelocking means to be released and allow the collapsible baby bottle 70 tobe collapsed to the collapsed configuration. One such releasable lockingmeans is illustrated in FIGS. 13 to 15 in particular.

Each of the outer wall segments 78A to 78D has a plurality of resilientlocking tabs 84. The locking tabs 84 are separated from the wall of theouter wall segment by slots 86. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS.13 to 15, the locking tabs 84 are downwardly extending and the slots 86extend upwardly more than half the height of the outer wall segment.However, as described below, other configurations are possible.

The lower end of the resilient locking tab 84 is provided with areleasable locking latch means, namely a generally semi-circular lug 82which fits within a releasable locking latch means receptacle, namely agenerally semi-circular opening 80 provided in an adjacent outer wallsegment as will be described. Preferably, the semicircular lug 82 has aflat base contiguous with and extending outwardly of the resilient tab84. The outer surface of the lug 82 extends upwardly and outwardly tothe semicircular upper edge of the lug 82. Preferably, in order to aidin the locking and releasing of the lug 82 from the opening 80, thejoint between the outer surface and the semicircular upper edge of thelug is cambered or rounded over and is not a sharp edge.

The outer wall segments 78B to 78D are provided with semicircularopenings 80 of a size slightly larger than the size of the semicircularlugs 82 on the resilient tabs 84. The number of such semicircularopenings 80 are the same as the number of resilient tabs 84 andsemicircular lugs 82 on the adjacent outer wall segment. In order toallow the semicircular lugs 82 to be biased inwardly during thecollapsing operation, the exterior of the outer wall segment below thesemicircular opening 80 is provided with an indent extending downwardlyfrom the semicircular opening 80.

To expand the collapsible baby bottle 70, starting from the collapsedconfiguration as shown in FIG. 14, the outermost outer wall segment 78Dis gripped and pulled downwardly. The semicircular lugs 82 ride upwardlyalong the interior wall of the adjacent outer wall segment, then snapinto the semicircular opening 80. The same operation is repeated foreach of the outer wall segments until the collapsible baby bottle 70 isin the expanded configuration.

To collapse the collapsible baby bottle 70, the semicircular lugs 82 arepressed inwardly until the top semicircular edge of the lug 82 passesthe top of the semicircular opening. The outer wall segment is thenpushed upwardly so that the resilient tab 84 and lug 82 cam inwardly andride downwardly along the interior of the adjacent outer wall segmentuntil the outer wall segments align. This process is repeated for eachof the outer wall segments until the collapsible baby bottle 70 is thenin the collapsed position.

A further embodiment of a collapsible baby bottle 70 of the presentinvention is illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 18. Similar to the previousembodiment, the collapsible baby bottle 70 has an outer wall 78constructed of a plurality of outer wall segments 78A to 78D. Theuppermost outer wall segment 78A is provided with an exterior thread 74which accepts a standard retaining ring 72 to hold a nipple 76 orsipping top (not shown) on the top of the collapsible baby bottle 70. Astandard commercially available baby bottle liner (not shown) is used inthe conventional manner to hold the formula or other fluid forconsumption by the baby or toddler.

The outer wall segments 78A to 78D are provided with releasable lockingmeans which similar to the previous embodiment are a plurality ofresilient locking tabs 84. The locking tabs 84 are separated from thewall of the outer wall segment by slots 86. In the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 16 to 18, the locking tabs 84 are upwardlyextending and the slots 86 extend downwardly more than half the heightof the outer wall segment.

The upper end of the resilient locking tab 84 is provided with aninwardly oriented generally semi-circular lug 82 which fits within agenerally semi-circular opening 80 provided in an adjacent outer wallsegment. Preferably, the semicircular lug 82 has a flat top contiguouswith and extending inwardly of the resilient tab 84. The inner surfaceof the lug 82 extends downwardly to the semicircular lower edge of thelug 82. The inner surface of the lug is at an angle to the interiorsurface of the outer wall segment such that one side of the lug isgenerally contiguous with the resilient tab. Preferably, in order to aidin the locking and releasing of the lug 82 from the opening 80, thejoint between the outer surface and the semicircular lower edge of thelug is cambered or rounded over and is not a sharp edge.

The outer wall segments 78B to 78D are provided with semicircularopenings 80 of a size slightly larger than the size of the semicircularlugs 82 on the resilient tabs 84. The number of such semicircularopenings 80 are the same as the number of resilient tabs 84 andsemicircular lugs 82 on the adjacent outer wall segment. In order toallow the semicircular lugs 82 to be biased inwardly during thecollapsing operation, the exterior of the outer wall segment above thesemicircular opening 80 is provided with an indent extending upwardlyfrom the semicircular opening 80.

To expand the collapsible baby bottle 70, starting from the collapsedconfiguration as shown in FIG. 14, the outermost outer wall segment 78Dis gripped and pulled downwardly. The semicircular lugs 82 ridedownwardly along the exterior wall of the adjacent outer wall segment,then snap into the semicircular opening 80. The same operation isrepeated for each of the outer wall segments until the collapsible babybottle 70 is in the expanded configuration.

To collapse the collapsible baby bottle 70, the outer wall segments arerotated slightly such that the semicircular lugs 82 are cammed outwardlyuntil the lug 82 is released from the semicircular opening 80. The outerwall segment is then pushed upwardly so that the resilient tab 84 andlug 82 rides upwardly along the exterior of the adjacent outer wallsegment until the outer wall segments align. This process is repeatedfor each of the outer wall segments until the collapsible baby bottle 70is then in the collapsed position.

A further embodiment of the collapsible container of the presentinvention is illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20. This embodiment is acollapsible water bottle for use in portable water coolers and the like.The collapsible water bottle 90 has an outer wall 92 constructed of aplurality of segments 92A to 92C which are nestable within one anotherwhen the collapsible water bottle 90 is in the collapsed position. Inthis way, there is a reduction in the volume occupied by an empty bottleon return to a filling station by a transport vehicle thereby promotingreduction of vehicle trips and reduction in fuel consumption in transit.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, the collapsible waterbottle 90 has three segments 92A to 92C. The upper most segment 92A hasat its upper edge an upwardly and inwardly sloping top to a neck 94which fits within the receptacle of the water cooler in the typicalmanner. The lower most of the segments 92C is provided at its lower edgewith a bottom contiguous with the lower edge of the segment.

The collapsible water bottle 90 may be provided with an inner linersimilar to the embodiments described above or the releasable lockingmeans may be constructed in a manner to maintain the water bottle in awater tight configuration when in the expanded position.

The outer wall segments 92A to 92C are provided with releasing lockingmeans which allow the collapsible water bottle 90 to be expanded andlocked in the expanded configuration while the same time allowing thelocking means to be released and allow the collapsible water bottle 90to be collapsed in the collapsed configuration. One such locking meansis illustrated in FIG. 20. The upper most wall segments 92A and 92B areprovided at the lower edge thereof with releasable locking latch means,namely an annular ring 96 which extends outwardly of the outer wallsegment adjacent the lower edge. The upper most wall segments areprovided with a releasable locking latch means receptacle 95 for theannular rib of the immediately adjacent outer wall segment. Preferablyas illustrated in FIG. 20, this releasable locking latch meansreceptacle 95 is located adjacent the upper edge of the outer wallsegment and comprises an annular inwardly oriented rib and immediatelyabove the annular inwardly oriented rib is an outwardly oriented annulargroove. In the expanded configuration of FIG. 19, the annular rib on thelower edge of an outer wall segment is contained and held within theannular groove of the immediately adjacent outer wall segment.

To expand the collapsible water bottle starting from the collapsedconfiguration as shown in FIG. 20, the upper most wall segment 92A isgripped and pulled upwardly, the annular rib rides upwardly along theinterior wall of the adjacent outer wall segment, then over the annularrib until it snaps into the annular groove. The same operation isrepeated for each of the outer wall segments until the collapsible thewide mouth water bottle is in the expanded configuration.

To collapse the collapsible water bottle 90, the top of the water bottleis pushed downwardly. For this movement, the collapsible water bottle 90may be placed on a surface that the user may push on both the top andbottom of the water bottle 90 simultaneously. This movement forces theannular rib on the exterior of the outer wall segment over the annularrib on the interior of the adjacent outer wall segment and out of theannular grooves and downwardly along the interior of the adjacent outerwall segment until the outer wall segments align. The collapsible waterbottle 90 is then in a collapsed configuration.

A further embodiment of a collapsible container of the present inventionis illustrated in FIGS. 21 to 24. This embodiment of the collapsiblecontainer is a collapsible storage container generally indicated by thenumeral 100. The collapsible storage container allows the interiorvolume of the storage container to be adjusted depending upon the volumeof materials to be stored within the container. In this way, there is areduction in the amount of wasted space where the container is used forstorage of a smaller volume of material, yet may be easily expanded toaccommodate more material.

The collapsible storage container has an outer wall 102 constructed of aplurality of outer wall segments 102A to 102C. The upper most outer wallsegment 102A is provided with a rollover upper lip to permit a cover 104to be snapped or friction fitted onto the storage container in aconventional manner. The lower most outer wall segment 102C is providedwith a bottom contiguous with the lower edge of the outer wall segment102C.

The outer wall segments 102A to 102C are provided with releasablelocking means which allow the collapsible storage container 100 to beexpanded and locked in the expanded configuration while at the same timeallowing the locking means to be released and allow the collapsiblestorage container to be collapsed in a collapsed configuration. One suchreleasable locking means is illustrated in the figures.

Each of the upper most outer wall segments 102A and 102B are providedwith a plurality of resilient locking tabs 110. The locking tabs areseparated from the wall of the outer wall segment by slots 112. In theembodiment illustrated in the figures, the locking tabs 110 aredownwardly extending and the slots extend upwardly; however, otherconfigurations are possible and would be immediately apparent to thoseof skill in the art.

The lower end of the resilient locking tab 110 is provided with thereleasable locking latch means, namely a generally semicircular lug 108which fits within a releasable locking latch means receptacle, namely agenerally semicircular opening 114 provided in an adjacent outward wallsegment as will be described. Preferably, the semicircular lug has aflat base contiguous with and extended outwardly of the resilient tab110. The lug extends upwardly and outwardly from the base to asemicircular upper edge of the lug. Preferably to aid in the locking andreleasing of the lug from the opening, the joint between the outersurface and semicircular upper edge of the lug is cambered or roundedover and is not a sharp edge.

The outer wall segments 102B and 102C are provided with a semicircularopening 114 of a size slightly larger than the size of the semicircularlugs on the resilient tabs. The number of such semicircular openings arethe same as the number of resilient tabs and semicircular lugs on theadjacent outer wall segment.

To expand the collapsible storage container starting from the collapsedconfiguration as shown in FIG. 24, the outer most outer wall segment102A is gripped and pulled upwardly. The semicircular lugs 108 rideupwardly along the exterior wall of the adjacent outer wall segment,then snap into the semicircular opening 114. The same operation isrepeated for each of the outer wall segments until the collapsiblestorage container is in the expanded configuration.

To collapse the collapsible storage container, the semicircular lugs arepressed outwardly until the base of the lug passes the lower edge of thesemicircular opening. The outer wall segment is then pushed downwardlyso that the resilient tab and lug cam outwardly and ride downwardlyalong the exterior of the adjacent outer wall segment until the outerwall segments align. This process is repeated for each of the outer wallsegments until the collapsible storage container is then in thecollapsed position.

A further embodiment of a collapsible container of the present inventionis illustrated in FIGS. 25 to 31. This embodiment of the collapsiblecontainer is a collapsible suitcase generally indicated by the numeral120. The collapsible suitcase has an outer wall 124 constructed of aplurality of outer wall segments 124A to 124C. The upper most outer wallsegment 124A is provided with a releasable and removable cover to permitaccess to the interior of the collapsible suitcase in a conventionalmanner. The lower most outer wall segment 124C is provided with a bottomcontiguous with the lower edge of the outer wall segment 124C.

The outer wall segments 124A to 124C are provided with releasablelocking means which allow the collapsible suitcase 120 to be expandedand locked in the expanded configuration while at the same time allowingthe locking means to be released and allow the collapsible suitcase tobe collapsed in a collapsed configuration. One such releasable lockingmeans is illustrated in the figures.

Each of the upper most outer wall segments 124A and 124B are providedwith a plurality of resilient locking tabs 130. The locking tabs 130 areseparated from the wall of the outer wall segment by slots 132. In theembodiment illustrated in the figures, the locking tabs 130 aredownwardly extending and the slots 132 extend upwardly; however, otherconfigurations are possible and would be immediately apparent to thoseof skill in the art.

The lower end of the resilient locking tab 130 is provided with thereleasable locking latch means, namely a generally semicircular lug 128which fits within a releasable locking latch means receptacle, namely agenerally semicircular opening 134 provided in an adjacent outward wallsegment as will be described. Preferably, the semicircular lug 128 has aflat base contiguous with and extending outwardly of the resilient tab130. The lug 128 extends upwardly and outwardly from the base to asemicircular upper edge of the lug. Preferably to aid in the locking andreleasing of the lug 128 from the opening of the joint between the outersurface and semicircular upper edge of the lug is cambered or roundedover and is not a sharp edge.

The outer wall segments 124B and 124C are provided with a semicircularopening 134 of a size slightly larger than the size of the semicircularlugs 128 on the resilient tabs 130. The number of such semicircularopenings 134 are the same as the number of resilient tabs 130 andsemicircular lugs 128 on the adjacent outer wall segment.

To expand the collapsible suitcase 120 starting from the collapsedconfiguration as shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, the outer most outer wallsegment 124A is gripped and pulled upwardly. The semicircular lugs 128ride upwardly along the exterior wall of the adjacent outer wallsegment, then snap into the semicircular opening 134. The same operationis repeated for each of the outer wall segments until the collapsiblesuitcase 120 is in the expanded configuration.

To collapse the collapsible suitcase 120, the semicircular lugs 128 arepressed outwardly until the base of the lug 128 passes the lower edge ofthe semicircular opening 134. The outer wall segment is then pusheddownwardly so that the resilient tab 130 and lug 128 cam outwardly andride downwardly along the exterior of the adjacent outer wall segmentuntil the outer wall segments align. This process is repeated for eachof the outer wall segments until the collapsible storage container isthen in the collapsed position.

As illustrated in FIGS. 30 and 31, the collapsible suitcase 120 may beprovided with a plurality of storage inserts to maximize the storage andorganization of the contents of the collapsible suitcase. Such storageinserts may include compartmentalized insets 140 and garment hangers146.

The compartmentalized inserts 140 are preferably of a height equal tothe interior height of the collapsible suitcase in the expandedconfiguration. The compartmentalized inserts 140 are provided with sidewalls, top, bottom and back walls and an open front constituted offlexible material such as fabric and the like to facilitate collapseinto a compact size. The interior of the compartmentalized inserts 140are divided into a plurality of individual compartments 142 by suitablyplaced dividers. In this way, clothing and accessory items may beorganized in individual compartments so they are easily seen andaccessible to the user. For example, shoes, shirts, socks, underwear,etc. may be placed in individual compartments making the selection ofthe desired items easier. The compartmentalized inserts 140 may beprovided with a hanging hook 144 on the top to allow the insert to beremoved from the suitcase 120 and hung in a closet for easy access.

In addition to the compartmentalized inserts 140, the collapsiblecontainer may also be provided with garment hangers 146 to hang and keepfrom being crushed or wrinkled garments such suits, dresses, etc. Thegarment hangers 146 include suitable hangers 148 for the garments. Thecollapsible suitcase may be provided with a means for holding a hanginghook 148 which also allows the garments to be hung in a closet for easyaccess. Wheels 126 and retractable handle 122 are shown for illustrationpurposes.

The collapsible container of the present invention provides for acollapsible container which is easily movable from a collapsed positionhaving a reduced volume for storage and transport and an expandedposition having dimensional rigidity and securely holding the contentsof the container. As described above, the collapsible container of thepresent invention may be adapted for many different uses.

The collapsible container of the present invention has dimensionalstability in the expanded position, a property which is of specialimportance when the container is used to store and transport heavieritems such as when being used as a suitcase. In order to provide thedimensional stability, the outer wall segments are preferablyconstructed of a suitable material which provides for the dimensionalstability while also allowing for the resiliency required for thereleasable locking means. The material from which the outer wallsegments may be constructed include a suitably dimensioned metal as wellas suitable polymeric materials. Among the suitable polymeric materialsare polyamides such as nylon, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, etc.Preferably, the outer wall segments are a polyamide such as nylon.

The inner liner, particularly those used in collapsible containers usedfor food or beverage storage are preferably constructed of a food gradepolymeric material such as silicon, polypropylene, etc. Preferably, inorder to also provide for the capability of heating food or beverage inthe container, the inner liner is constructed of a food grade siliconwhich will withstand the temperatures encountered in heating of the foodor beverage contained in the container.

Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention havebeen described herein in detail, it will appreciated by those of skillin the art that variations may be made thereto without parting from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

1. A collapsible container which is movable from a collapsed positionhaving a reduced volume for storage and transport and an expandedposition having dimensional rigidity and securely holding the contentsof the container, the collapsible container comprising a plurality ofouter wall segments having a side wall with a first and second edge, theouter wall segments being movable from a collapsed position wherein theplurality of outer wall segments are stacked within each other such thatthe height of the collapsed container is similar to the height of theindividual outer wall segments and an expanded position for use of thecollapsible container, the outer wall segments being provided withreleasable locking means whereby the outer wall segments may be lockedone to another in the expanded position and being releasable to allowfor the collapsible container to be moved to the collapsed position, thereleasable locking means comprising a releasable locking latch meansadjacent a first edge of each of the outer wall segments and a lockinglatch means receptacle adjacent a second edge of the outer wallsegments, the releasable locking latch means of an outer wall segmentcooperating with the releasable locking latch means receptacle of anadjacent outer wall segment to releasably lock the collapsible containerin the expanded position, the releasable locking latch means of an outerwall segment being disengageable from the releasable locking latch meansreceptacle of the adjacent outer wall segment to allow the collapsiblecontainer to be moved to the collapsed position.
 2. A collapsiblecontainer according to claim 1 wherein the releasable locking latchmeans comprises a rib on a first surface of the outer wall segment andthe releasable locking latch means receptacle comprises a groove toaccept the rib and securely hold the rib in the groove.
 3. A collapsiblecontainer according to claim 1 wherein the releasable locking latchmeans comprises a resilient tab formed in the side wall of the outerwall segment, the resilient tab having a lug extending from a firstsurface of the outer wall segment and the releasable locking latch meansreceptacle comprises an opening to accept the lug and securely hold thelug in the opening.
 4. A collapsible container according to claim 1wherein the collapsible container further comprises a fluid tight innerliner which is movable from a collapsed position to an expanded positionalong with the outer wall segments, the inner liner being attached tothe outer wall segment at the top thereof.
 5. A collapsible containeraccording to claim 4 wherein the inner liner comprises a plurality ofinner liner segments, the number of inner wall segments being equal tothe number of outer wall segments, the uppermost inner wall segmentbeing attached to the uppermost outer wall segment and the lowermostinner wall segment being provided with a bottom at the lower end thereofcontiguous with the wall of the inner liner segment, each of the innerwall segments being joined to the adjacent inner wall segment by aliving hinge to allow the inner wall segments to be moved between anexpanded position to form a liquid tight liner for the collapsiblecontainer and a collapsed position wherein the inner liner segmentspivot about the living hinges joining the adjacent inner wall segmentssuch that in the collapsed position, the inner wall segments form apleated arrangement.
 6. A collapsible container according to claim 5wherein the collapsible container comprises a removable cover which in aclosed position seals the interior of the container and is releasable toallow access to the interior of the container.